i had sent an email to steve about an hour ago stating the exact same thing. i have had a federal bird rehab license for over 20 years . i have had many, many water birds including loons and ruddy ducks who cannot walk and just use their wings to try to propel themselves along. also, every loon that i have had in captivity for overnight or even a few hours, breeding or not, have called out. have had many during fall migration when pavement is wet - about ten years ago right before xmas, we had a major event of juvenile common loons - one was at the vienna metro - anyway the bird will not make it unless someone else finds it, calls someone to get advice - or put a towel over its head, gets control of the beak and gets it to open water - they re heavy but this is very doable - hopefully if it is in the same area , and someone sees it, it will be saved
Christine Huffman
Great Falls, VA
On May 20, 2013, at 8:32 AM, Bob Ringler <ringler.bob...> wrote:
> Steve,
> Please pardon my abruptness but I feel that I must take exception and refute everything you said about Common Loons. For starters the loon in question may not know where the river is. If it came down in an unlikely location unintentionally it is likely isolated from seeing the river. Secondly, loons don't walk. They are extremely top-heavy because the legs are placed so far to the rear of the bird. Even more astounding is your alleged sighting of a loon with a baby on its back in Chesapeake Bay two miles offshore! Common Loons nest on large undisturbed lakes not on the shores of the Bay, or in the C&O Canal. I don't know what you saw but I will bet it was not a loon with young. Last it is not unusual though not frequent to hear the wail of a Common Loon in Maryland.
> Please don't consider this an angry diatribe. My concern is that misconceptions may be widely broadcast. If I have made any misstatements I hope someone will correct me.
>
>
> On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 7:36 AM, Steve Long <steve.long4...> wrote:
> I have not seen this particular loon, but some previous experiences make me question whether it really needs any "help."
>
> For one thing, the Potomac River just across the tow path from this loon's location if a fine take-off area for a loon. The loon must be aware of it and be able to walk to it.
>
> Another point is that while out fishing I once saw a Common Loon in the Chesapeake Bay with a baby on its back, about 2 miles off-shore near the mouth of the Choptank River. So I suspect that a few do actually breed this far south once in a while. (Maybe they are using the same realestate agent as those Canada Geese that stick around?)
>
> As for hearing loons call this far south, I only had it happen once, during late autumn or early winter while canoeing off Deep Water Point in Trippe Creek. A loon surfaced about 50 yards away and started calling with the classic vocalization. There seemed to be a loud echo from the wooded shore on the other side, or perhaps it was another loon. Either way, it seemed that the loon in front of us was responding to the echo or other bird, calling over and over. My wife was thrilled! I have always wondered why the loons in our area are not heard, and why this one was so vocal. I have always suspected that we don't normally hear them here because they normally don't breed here. Even this one that we did hear call did not repeat the performance again for the days that we remained in the area.
>
> Anyway, I hope the loon between Violet's and Riley's Locks gets enough peace to finish whatever it is doing there. I suspect that it has a nest near the tow path. Or, perhaps it was in the process of leading its young to the Potomac when Bill happened by? That area is so frequently traveled by walkers with dogs that I doubt this loon has been putting-on this performance for long at that location.
>
> Steve Long
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Christine Huffman
> To: Bill Hubick
> Cc: MDBirds ; Bill Sherman
> Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 4:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Interesting Loon Encounter near Violette's Lock
>
> unfortunately that loon will not survive if it doesn't get to enough water to take off and fly. as a bird rehabber, i have had many times when a loon needed to be moved to the river or a large pond in order for it to continue it's journey. they land by mistake somewhere like a wet black topped parking lot or in a stream to o small for take off by running along. the parking ot birds often have scrapped up feet.
> to attempt the relocation, you need to cover it with a towel and grab the beak to hold it shut and keep it from lunging at you. once you get the beak under control, it is doable.
> you cold also call animal control to help or net it if you can locate the bird again.
> i am posting this in hopes that someone can find it again and manage to move it to a pond or the canal or whatever. they can move around with wings and feet, but not very well .
>
> Christine Huffman
> Great Falls, VA
>
>
>
>
> On May 19, 2013, at 4:20 PM, Bill Hubick <bill_hubick...> wrote:
>
>> Hi Everyone,
>>
>> Bill Sherman shared this interesting encounter with a Common Loon near Violette's Lock:
>>
>> I thought you would enjoy hearing about a strange encounter that I experienced today. Jim MacConnell and I were birding this morning on the C&O canal starting at Pennyfield Lock and ending up at Riley's Lock (Seneca). We reached Violette's lock and were heading toward Riley's and were about 500 yards or so from Violettes. I was walking on the towpath, noticing that the canal on my right was filled with tall grass and just a little bit of water. All of a sudden a large bird came shooting out of the grass in the canal directly toward me on the towpath. I thought at first it might have been a Canada Goose trying to protect its nest, but as I backtracked to get away from whatever it was, I saw that it was a Common Loon in full breeding plumage. I was quickly moving backwards and the bird was coming at me moving using its wings and feet. I must have backed up about 25 feet when it finally stopped. It then began to vocalize while sitting on the towpath, making that Loon sound that I have only heard before in the movie On Golden Pond. The Loon stayed on the path calling and as we got closer to it, it began coming at us again. Because it was standing between us and our final destination, Riley's Lock, we needed to do something to get by and not get poked by its long sharp bill. Jim found a leafy branch and held the Loon at bay while we both passed. It then disappeared back into the canal grass.
>>
>> First, I have never seen a Common Loon in breeding plumage and have never heard it call. Second, I would have thought that all of the Loons would already be on nest much further north than here. The bird did not seem to be injured because it was very good at moving quickly using both its wings and feet. Would you have any thoughts as to why this bird might be behaving this way. It was almost as if it was trying to protect a nest, but I know they don't nest here.
>>
>> I have attached a couple of photos of the Loon. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of it attacking me because -- it was attacking me!!!
>>
>> Now I know where the phrase CRAZY AS A LOON comes from!!
>>
>> Bill Sherman
>>
>> Photos are posted here:
>> http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?tmpl=3&action=viewalbum&user_id=31821&album_id=1385854&event=.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Bill
>>
>> Bill Hubick
>> Pasadena, Maryland
>> <bill_hubick...>
>> http://www.billhubick.com
>> http://www.marylandbiodiversity.com
>> http://www.facebook.com/MarylandBiodiversity
>>
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> Bob Ringler
> Eldersburg MD
>
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